You’re about to fall in love with this bride. Not only because she is beautiful beyond belief and rockin’ one of the prettiest Blush by Jim Hjelm gowns you have ever seen, but because she and her handsome groom are sooo very, very talented (see: her stunning veil + fab flea market decor) and are the kind of crazy in love that makes your heart melt. And their uber-gorgeous Hill Country wedding captured by Tara Welch Photography? Amazing. Click here for more and stay tuned for a beautiful film from Hardeman Films below.
From the Bride… It was about 12 hours post-proposal that my full-blown obsession set in. Although the “theme” (if there was just one) evolved over time, we knew we wanted our wedding at its core to be a Hill Country, old timey, fall affair. Our starting point began with succulents, more specifically the Pearl of Nuremburg (did I mention obsession?!). Wanting to grow our own succulents for the wedding became a daily care where we tended to our first 100 bud plants, which soon became 200 and is still growing larger to this day. The thought of being able to one day look at all the pretty arrangements in the backyard and show our children ‘that once was part of our wedding’ seemed really beautiful.
From there I knew the colors of the bridesmaids’ dresses. I wanted the color to mimic the color on the tips of the succulent and to be the only bold and major color point in the wedding, having the main focus on the natural surroundings. Once I laid eyes on the beautiful antique fuchsia color of the dresses and the sophisticated pinstriped material, I knew the dress would look amazing on each of my friends.
Because we didn’t have an unlimited budget and wanted to do as much ourselves as we could, my fiancé and I began to spend a lot of quality time together going to every estate sale in Texas, along with the awesome flea markets back in my hometown in Ohio. I wanted to mimic much of the vintage decor my grandmother has always had around. We eventually amassed every woodland brass animal I could get my hands on, including my much-coveted armadillo. Soon we had every vessel our house would hold, made up of a mix of hobnail milk glass, brass planters and antique bottles from beer to bourbon. We finished off the tables with an assortment of vintage candlesticks, embroidered napkins and crocheted doilies and runners of various sizes.
For my dress, I knew I wanted amazing texture and an equally rich antique color, but with hopes I wouldn’t look like the many doilies I was covering the wedding in. I chose a Blush by Jim Hjelm ivory on champagne stunner that cannot be appreciated fully by a photo. I played up the dress with an antique filigree horseshoe brooch and handmade fabric flowers I found on Etsy, along with a veil I made from tulle and vintage tatting. For our flower girl, I found a 19th century ivory silk dress that had the most incredible handmade crocheted collar. We tied off her dress with an antique French ribbon and vintage horseshoe brooch, which when juxtaposed with her fuchsia tights and brown cowgirl boots looked adorable.
We finished up our year of relaxed wedding planning madness with a night of whisky and laughs while the men chose their fabric for their custom pants by the local Dandy’s. From a bride approved small sampling of plaid lightweight wool fabrics that worked best with my fiancé’s choices for his three piece suit, each groomsmen (and my “bridesman”) chose which one suited them best, along with the style of pant they preferred. In the end, this pulled together the whole look and feel of the wedding party… the hats the men debated over for months and eventually picked up last minute the night before helped too!
In the end our wedding day was memorable beyond belief. Our bellies were full, almost as much as our hearts. We both feel truly blessed to be so lucky in love.
Wedding Photography: Tara Welch Photography / Secondary Photography: Brandon Johnson / Wedding Venue: Three Points Ranch in Round Mountain, Texas / Cinematography: Brett Hardeman from Hardeman Films / Floral Design: Austin Flower Co. / Caterer: Pink Avocado / Wedding Cake: Crazy Cakes / Decor + Programs: The Chartreuse Goose / Band: The Chris Story Band / Wedding Dress: Blush by Jim Hjelm via Serendipity Bridal / Veil: DIY by the Bride / Boots: Texas Boot Company / Bridesmaids’ Attire: BCBG / Men’s Attire: Custom Made by Dandy’s / Hair + Makeup: Mandy Silver from Mandy Silver Magic (512.773.3257)